AIR LORA:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is reportedly considering the acquisition of AIR LORA, an advanced air-launched ballistic missile, to significantly bolster its long range strike capabilities.
- AIR LORA is an advanced air-launched ballistic missile developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
- It is a short-range air-to-ground missile (AGM) developed for strike missions against high-value and well-protected targets such as command centres, air force bases, infrastructure, and naval vessels in dense littoral environments.
- It has a diameter of 0.624 m and a length of 5.2 m, with a launch weight of approximately 1,600 kg.
- It can carry a payload of up to 600 kg, and can deploy a single high explosive (HE) warhead or submunitions.
- It is a fire-and-forget missile system that functions autonomously after launch.
- It does not require guidance from the aircraft once it is released.
- The missile can also change its target coordinates mid-flight, allowing adjustments during changing battlefield scenarios.
- It features high survivability with advanced immune INS/GNSS navigation and strong anti-jamming capabilities, allowing for 24/7 operation in extreme weather conditions and highly contested battlefields.
- It has a maximum range of 400 km.
- It can be simply integrated into airborne platforms as a stand-alone configuration or through the avionics system” and is easy to operate, “with simple fire-and-forget and autonomous operation.
- It has a very high mission success rate, mainly due to its supersonic speed and its combat-proven GNSS anti-jamming system”, as well as terminal trajectory shaping and a 90° attack angle.
